Iris
by mewmewflora92
Summary: She dreams of another world. He wishes he wasn't such a disappointment to his mother, especially after their inn mysteriously burns to the ground. Will their deals with the sea witch Ursula grant their wishes? Or will it just destroy them both?
1. Moonlit Encounter

Chapter 1 – Moonlit Encounter

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE BASE MATERIAL OF THIS STORY. _

_Also, if you are interested in watching the miniseries on Youtube, here is the link to the:_

_Trailer for the Series: watch?v=l5aau2lvjSo_

_Episode for this chapter: watch?v=zDF6CYli5_4_

_The basic storyline for this story was created by my sister. I am simply extending the story and doing the actual writing of it. :) _

The water was still; too still. Ariel sighed as she stared up at its surface, the moonbeams piercing the water and falling on her face ever so perfectly. The curiosity in her cerulean eyes sparkled, her hands twitched with angst. She was day dreaming again; longing for a chance to explore the surface above, on land.

"Ariel!"

The princess snapped back to reality at the sound of her sister's voice. She turned away from the window to look at her six sisters, who were all staring at her.

"I'm sorry… what did you say?" Ariel stuttered, her face turning pink with embarrassment.

"I called your name like four times," her oldest sister, Attina, replied. "What is with you today? It seems like you've been in your own little world all day long. I swear, have you even left that windowsill since breakfast this morning?"

"Oh, Attina. I haven't meant to be in a daze. I just can't help but wonder what it would be like," Ariel said, turning her eyes back to the water's surface. "I can't help but wonder what it would be like to spend a day up there."

She reached a hand out towards the surface, as if she were going to try and grasp it. Sighing, she pulled it back, knowing that her dream was far out of reach. Attina rolled her eyes.

"Ariel, what have I told you," she scoffed. "It's forbidden to go to the surface. You know how father feels about your little fantasies. You just need to get this idea out of your head. You're a _mermaid_ and nothing's going to change that. Mermaids belong in the sea, not up there."

Ariel sighed. She knew her sister was right, but she couldn't help but be curious. Ever since she was a young mermaid she'd dreamed of the world above and what it would be like to live among the humans. Despite her father's scolding, she longed to be a part of that world.

"I know, Attina, but aren't you curious? Even just a little bit? Don't you want to know what the humans are like? I mean, they can't all be bad, can they?" she protested.

Attina pinched her eyebrows together.

"Ariel," she began. "Humans are the reason that our mother is dead. How could you be so interested in the people who murdered our mother?"

Ariel slunk down on the windowsill. She didn't know how to answer. She just couldn't explain it. Something about the human world fascinated her, that's all she knew.

"That's enough for tonight, girls," Alana, one of Ariel's other sisters, said. "It's late. We should go to bed."

"Alana's right, Ariel," Attina said, swimming over to her seashell bed. "We should rest. Tomorrow's the concert, so we need to get a good night's sleep so we're ready."

Ariel shook her head.

"I'm not tired yet. I think I'll sit here a while longer before I go to sleep."

"Alright, but not too late, okay?" Attina added as she crawled under her coral pink blanket.

Ariel nodded.

The next hour seemed to just fly by. Ariel continued to watch the moonlight shimmer on the water's surface, dreaming of living with the humans. She'd never seen one up close, but she could imagine the grace they had when they walked or danced and she could imagine the happiness they shared living on land.

Suddenly, a dark shadow fell across the ocean floor. Ariel gasped, looking up at the surface. Her heart leaped in her chest. A dark, luminous shape was crossing overhead, blocking out the moonlight: a ship. Curiosity getting the better of her, Ariel glanced back at her sisters. They were sound asleep in their seashell beds. Smiling, Ariel spun back around and swam out the window.

She emerged out of the water a few seconds later, pushing her crimson, water heavy bangs out of her eyes. The ship was simple, but yet beautiful to the little mermaid. She had never been so close to one before. Her curiosity grew with each passing second, so she swam closer.

As she neared the side of the ship, she could hear a faint voice. _Human_, she thought, her eyes lighting up. She looked up with side of the ship, searching for anything she could use to pull herself up so she could peer onto the deck. Up above she saw an opening with a ledge underneath it: the perfect place to perch and look onto the deck without being noticed. Grabbing ahold of a rope that was draped down the side of the ship, Ariel hoisted herself up onto the ledge. Once she had positioned herself comfortably, she took a deep breath and then peered through the little opening.

The deck was completely abandoned, except for a young boy. He looked about her age, though he was much taller. He was dressed in a fashion that Ariel had seen numerous times on sailors, with a plain tan shirt with a black coat, olive-colored pants, and black boots. He had a gold earring in one ear (which Ariel found odd) and his chestnut-colored hair was tied back. He was holding a strange tool and spreading water around the deck.

Ariel felt her heart start to beat faster and faster with each passing moment. He was beautiful; he was perfect. She had never seen anyone more handsome than this boy. She couldn't help but smile. She longed to reach out and touch him, to stoke his pale skin and to walk with him; actually _walk_ with him. She wished she could speak to him, ask him his name and ask him about how it felt to be human. But she knew she couldn't. Humans had no knowledge of mermaids; to them, mermaids were just fairytales. She couldn't betray her people out of greed. And what would her father say? She sighed. She would just have to watch him from afar, dreaming of the day when they could somehow meet.


	2. Grounded

Chapter 2 – Grounded

"Yahoo!" Jim cried at the top of his lungs as he reached the peak of his ascension into the sky. Quickly, he dropped the sail on his solar surfer, allowing himself to hang in the air for a few seconds. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the short time he spend hovering in midair before doing a back flip and quickly free falling through the sky. His heart was racing; he could feel the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He plummeted toward the ground; any second now he could crash into the rock, instantly killing him. Seconds before he would hit the ground he threw his sail back up, praying that the wind would catch in time. Lucky for him, it did, and he shot forward and was sailing parallel to the ground once more.

Jim couldn't help but smile. The rush that free falling gave him always cleared his mind after a long day. He had made the right decision to go and have some fun before he got home to face his mother. She had probably already heard about his little adventure at work today, and he wasn't really looking forward to getting yelled at.

The Benbow Inn was a rustic little cafe located on a pier overlooking the ocean. It had been in the Hawkins family for over ten years; it had originally belonged to Jim's father, before he walked out on his family. Now it was ran by his mother, Sarah.

Jim snuck through the back door of the Inn, going through the kitchen. Luckily, his mother was out in the dining area, taking orders. He tiptoed over to the door, set his solar surfer against the wall, and peered into the dining area. His mother was talking to Delbert, a close family friend. _Now's my chance,_ Jim thought. He quickly tiptoed over to the stairs. He was almost there when he was stopped by his mother's angered voice.

"James Pleaties Hawkins!"

He flinched. _Great…_ he thought, knowing that he was in for an earful. He took a deep breath, shoved his hands in his pockets, put a fake smile on his face, and then turned to face his mother.

"Yes, mom?" he said as innocently as possible for a fifteen year old boy.

Sarah glared at him, her hands on her hips.

"Kitchen. Now!" she said, pointing towards the kitchen door.

Sighing, Jim slunk back towards the door. He was caught; there was no denying that. Irritated, Jim started clearing the dishes that were lined along the counters, trying to occupy himself. He didn't bother to even look at his mother when she walked into the room.

"So," Sarah began, "guess who decided to pay me a visit this afternoon?"

Jim ignored her, though he knew perfectly well who it was.

"Silver," she answered impatiently. "Jim, what were you thinking?! It's bad enough that you ditched work to go solar surfing, but then you run from the cops and hide in the kitchen? You're lucky that Silver was kind enough to cover for you and that you weren't dragged off to juvenile hall! What were the cops chasing you for anyways?"

"Mom it was no big deal. I was just going a little too fast through a restricted area. It was no big deal," he answered quickly.

"Jim!" Sarah yelled. "That's it! You are grounded! No solar surfing for a month. Give me your board. Now."

"Mom, really?!" Jim protested. "You're totally overreacting!"

"No, Jim. You've gotten off way to easily. Now there's gonna be consequences. Now give me your board."

Jim sighed, knowing there was no arguing. He picked his board up off the floor and handed it to her, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever," he scoffed.

"Thank you. Now go to your room," Sarah demanded.

Without protest, Jim stomped up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door on the way in.

"Can my day get any worse?!" he screamed as he punched the wall.

First Silver tried to make him mop the whole deck. Then he finally got away, but of course he had to be chased by the cops. Then, as a punishment for leading the cops to the ship, Silver had made him mop the deck anyways. _And now this,_ he thought. But he wasn't going to give up solar surfing for a whole month. He had a plan. He'd get it back, he just had to be sneaky.


	3. Daydreaming

Chapter 3 – Daydreaming

"Jim-bo!"

Silver's voice echoed through the Benbow Inn, shaking Jim out of his sleep. Jim groaned, rolling over. He knew he was late, but he didn't care. Irritated, he pulled the covers over his head, trying to block out the noise from the customers down below.

"Silver, I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him lately," he heard his mother apologize. "But trust me, he's being punished for what happened yesterday."

"No worries, madame," Silver replied. "He's a young lad; it's in his nature to get himself into trouble. But I won't be having any mischief like yesterday. It's things like that that bring embarrassment to me and my crew."

Jim heard the sound of Silver's metal leg tromping up the stairs and down the hall, but he tried to ignore it.

"Jim!" his mother yelled from behind the door to his room. She pounded on it a couple of times before calling him again.

"James Pleates Hawkins! Get up now! You're late for work!"

Groaning again, Jim just buried his face in his pillow. A few moments later, his mother burst through the door and tore the blankets off of him.

"Jim! Get up!" she screamed. "Silver is here and he is not happy!"

"Yer mother's right, lad. We was expecting you to arrive at the ship yard an hour ago. Enough sleep; its time to get to work," Silver added.

Irritated, Jim sighed.

"Fine, whatever," he mumbled under his breath, getting up.

He grabbed his tan shirt off of the floor and pulled it over his head.

"Let's go," he murmured, pulling on his black and red combat boots.

"That's my Jim-bo," Silver laughed.

_Where would we walk?_

_Where would we run?_

_If we could stay all day in the sun_

_Just you and me_

_And I could be_

_Part of your world_

The words poured out of Ariel's heart as she sang happily to herself that morning. Running her dingelhopper through her crimson hair, she sighed. She just couldn't get the boy from the day before out of her mind. She had never seen anyone so handsome, so perfect. She had definitely never seen any merman that could even compare to his beauty. She thought of his soft blue eyes, and the way his hair fell in front of his face. She sighed again. There was no denying it – she was falling in love.

"Ariel!" Aquata's voice called from behind the seaweed door to the grooming room. "You've been in there forever! Give the rest of us a turn to get ready! The concert starts in 30 minutes!"

Ariel sighed again, putting her dingelhopper back down on the vanity. She had lost track of time day dreaming about the boy; she hadn't even realized she'd been in there for so long. She swam through the seaweed door, humming happily to herself.

"What's got you in such a happy mood?" Alana asked, swimming over to her sister.

Ariel smiled.

"Alana, have you ever fallen in love?" she asked.

All the girls froze and stared at their sister.

"Are you serious, Ariel?" Attina asked, smiling. "Our little sister has a crush?"

All the girls quickly swam over to Ariel, crowding around her.

"Where did you meet him?"

"Have you spoken to him?"

"What's his name?"

"Is he cute?"

"When can we meet him?"

They flooded her with questions, demanding all there was to know about them. Ariel just laughed.

"Calm down, girls. I haven't even spoken to him yet. But I will say that he is the most gorgeous and beautiful man I have ever seen. I think I may be in love with him," she sighed.

Her sisters squealed.

"Oh, Ariel!" Attina smiled. "I'm glad that you're finally getting your head away from the surface and are accepting your life as a mermaid."

Ariel faked a smile. _I wonder what she'd do if she knew I was in love with a human_, she thought.

"Girls!"

Ariel turned around to see a little red crab swimming through the door to their bedroom. It was her father's advisor, Sebastian.

"The concert is about to begin. We'd better get a move on," he demanded in his Jamaican accent.

"Yes, Sebastian," the girls mumbled in unison.

They followed the little red crab out of the room and out of the palace, Ariel taking the rear. As she swam, a familiar dark shadow at the surface caught her eye. Looking up at it, she smiled. It was the ship from before. She stopped staring up at it. Luckily, her sister's didn't seem to notice. She thought for a moment. The concert began in 15 minutes; she could spend 10 minutes up at the ship and be back in time for the concert. Smiling, she swam up to the ship, not knowing that she was being watched.

Jim inhaled, taking in the cool, salty sea air. He was perched on his favorite stop on the ship – the rope ladder that led up to the top of the mast. From there, he could see everything- the vast ocean, the seagulls flying by, the island he called his home far off in the distance. He sighed. He was bored with this life. Everyday he'd get up and go to work on this ship. At first, the job seemed like an adventure waiting to happen – he got to be out at sea every day, catching fish and protecting the harbor from pirates and other intruders – it sounded like an exciting life. But now, almost half a year later, Jim was bored. He was tired of spending all his days only a few miles from shore, swabbing the deck and tying down the sails, attempting to catch fish, but never actually succeeding. Where was the excitement? Where were the battles against enemies, the sea adventures, the danger?

Jim sighed again. _Guess I'll never be more than a screw-up cabin boy_, he thought. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"What a day," he grumbled.

"Tehehe."

Jim froze. Was he imagining it, or did he really just hear a girl giggling? It sounded like it was coming from the other side of the ship. He turned around, but no one was there. Unless…

He crawled down from his spot and jumped down on the deck. Slowly, he walked over to the other side. He paused, then, taking a deep breath, he looked over the edge.

"No way," he gasped.

Disappearing below the water's surface was what looked like a sea-green fish tail – although it was way too big to be a normal fish tail.

"Couldn't be," he said, taking a step back. "No, you're just going nuts. It was probably just some mutated fish or something."

"What's that Jim-bo?"

Silver's voice startled him. He hadn't noticed the cyborg emerging from below deck.

"Oh, nothing, just… talking to myself…" Jim stuttered, trying to regain his composure.

"Hmmph, very well then," Silver shrugged. "Are ye about ready to head back to the inn then?"

Jim nodded.

"Yeah… yeah…" he said.

_Get ahold of yourself, Jim_, he told himself. _It couldn't have been. It was just a fish, nothing else. Besides, you don't need to worry about this now. You've got a job to do tonight. _


	4. Caught

Chapter 4 – Caught

Ariel took in a deep breath. That was close; way too close. She hadn't meant to laugh, but when she had heard his voice, she just couldn't help but feel happy. His voice was so perfect, so heavenly, like music to her ears. It was better than she had imagined.

_He was so close to me,_ she thought. Her fingers tingled both with excitement and fear. She wanted so badly to stay on the ledge; to let the boy see her, see what she really was. She almost stayed, but only seconds before the boy reached the side of the ship she decided against it. She couldn't do that to her family. What if he did turn out to be dangerous, like the mermaids believed? What then? She knew she couldn't risk it.

Sighing, she looked back to the surface. The ship was sailing slowly eastward, towards the shore.

"I wonder," she mumbled to herself.

She swam back towards the ship. _Maybe I can find out where he lives,_ she thought. She swam just below the surface, following the ship towards shore. Finally, it arrived at the docks. Ariel swam below the dock before breaking through the surface.

"Good work today, Jim-bo," she heard a man say.

"Yeah, whatever."

Ariel smiled. She would recognize this voice anywhere. It was his voice.

"Well, I better be heading back home. Morph is probably lonely. Don't you go getting' in any more trouble, Jim."

The other man's voice again.

"Will do."

She heard footsteps on the wooden planks. She listened to them until they finally disappeared. She sat in silence for a moment, pondering.

"Jim," she said aloud. "That must be his name."

She smiled. Even his name was perfect. She sat there for a few moments until she was sure that the humans were gone. Finally, she swam back towards the sea. Just before going back under the water, Ariel took one last look at the shore. She gazed at the peaceful little house that she assumed was his. Her heart longed to see inside of it – to see where Jim lived. She pulled her body up onto a rock that was jutting out of the water.

"One day," she said. "I'll be with you, Jim. I promise."

She closed her eyes and sang out the words that came to her heart.

_I don't know when_

_I don't know how_

_But I know something's starting right now_

_Watch and you'll see_

_Someday I'll be_

_Part of your world_

Sighing, she slid back down into the sea.

"Guess I should head home now…" she whined.

Then, she gasped.

"The concert!" she yelled.

She had been so distracted by Jim and following the ship that she had completely forgotten about making it to the concert. It had been almost two hours since she had snuck away; it was definitely over by now.

"Guess I'll have to think of an excuse to tell Daddy on the way back," she said.

And with that, she swam back towards home.

"Hey mom. I'm home," Jim said as he entered the Inn.

The café was packed with people and his mother was frantically running from table to table.

"Hey Jim," his mother replied. "How was work?"

"Same old, same old," Jim answered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I've got a headache. I think I'm gonna go lay down."

He tromped up the stairs, not even waiting for a response. Now was his chance. His mother was busy – she wouldn't even notice him sneaking into the storage room.

Sneaking into his mother's room, he went over to her bedside table. He opened the door and ruffled through the random items until he found the key to the storage room. He shut the drawer and quickly, but quietly went across the hall to the storage room door. He unlocked it and went it, shutting the door behind him.

The storage room was dusty and piled high with boxes and old furniture that his mother had never bothered to get rid of.

_She'd probably put it in back,_ he told himself, making his way through the maze of boxes.

"Ow! What the heck?!" he yelled.

He'd accidently bumped one of the boxes with his elbow, knocking it over on his foot. He bent over to pick up its spilled contents. It was a box of his old childhood toys – a pirate ship, a teddy bear, and lots of other little playthings. He paused when he came across a book. It was old and faded, but he recognized it immediately. It was probably his favorite thing as a child.

He dusted the cover off, revealing the title of the book: _The Legend of the Little Mermaid_. He smiled.

It seemed like so long ago, but he could still remember every moment. He'd stay up late every night reading the book – even if his mother ordered him to go to bed. Everything about the mermaid world fascinated him. He'd often ask his mother about them. She'd, of course, reply every time that they were just a legend. But Jim always believed with all his heart that they were real; he even swore that one day, he'd prove to the world that they were real.

Jim sighed, putting the book back in the box. _You're getting distracted_, he thought. He pushed the box aside and continued to the back of the room.

"Yes!" he smiled, spotting his solar surfer in the corner.

He grabbed it and quickly made his way out of the storage room. He locked the door behind him and stuck the key in his pocket. He wasn't going to risk putting it back in his mother's room. He just wanted to get out of there. He went into his room and over to the window. Before opening it, he listened for any signs of his mother coming upstairs.

"I'm telling you, Delbert," he heard his mother say. "Grounding Jim is going to help him. I just can't see him end up in jail."

"Good," he said, before sliding out the window.

Ariel was halfway back to the palace when she stopped one last time to look back up at the surface. She smiled. She'd heard the voice of the most perfect man in the world and even learned his name. The day had been perfect.

"Ariel," she heard a voice behind her say.

Ariel turned around to see Attina, her eyebrows pinched together.

"Oh, Attina, it's you," Ariel said, pushing her bangs out of her face. "I've had the most amazing day!"

Attina didn't move.

"Ariel, you missed the concert… Father is not very happy with you…" she said in a serious tone.

"I know. And I have an explanation," Ariel stuttered, looking away.

"And what would that be, Ariel? Going to the surface to see a human?"

Ariel gasped as her father appeared from the shadows. She'd never seen her father look so angry.

"No… I mean… why would I be at the surface… not after you'd told me never to go there… I'd never…" she stuttered.

"Ariel, stop. I watched the whole thing. You swam up to that ship and followed it to shore. I saw everything," Attina interrupted.

Ariel put her head down, blushing with frustration. Her own sister had sold her out. What was she supposed to do now?

"Contact between the human world and the merworld is strictly forbidden. Ariel, you know that!" her father reprimanded. "I won't have my youngest daughter getting caught by some fish-eater's hook. Why would you even think of going to the surface?"

"She'd been watching a human boy… She even followed him back to his home" Attina answered.

Her father's eyes darkened.

"Ariel, what has gotten into you?! What were you thinking?! Not only did you go to the surface behind my back, but you were actually fascinated with one of those… those barbarians!"

"Daddy, they're not barbarians! If you just took the chance to see them… to really watch them, you'd think differently!" Ariel argued.

"Enough Ariel. I forbid you from going to the surface again. And I definitely forbid you from ever going to see this boy again," the king continued.

"But, Daddy," Ariel yelled. "I love him!"

Her father froze.

"No…" he said, breathless.

He closed his eyes.

"You stupid, stupid girl," he said, half under his breath. "Attina, did you happen to see where this human lives?"

"Yes, he lives in the little house on the cliff overlooking the docks," Attina replied.

King Triton opened his eyes – they were burning with fury.

"Ariel I try to be a reasonable man… but you have just gone too far. I am going to get through to you. And, by God, if this is the only way, then so be it!"

The king lifted his triton and pointed it towards the water's surface. Ariel eyes widened and her breath grew short. _He wouldn't, _she thought.

"Daddy, no!" she screamed, swimming towards her father. But it was too late. A red beam shot out of the triton, racing towards the surface. In a matter of moments, it would hit its target.

"Daddy! Daddy please!" Ariel screamed again, holding onto her father's arm.

More beams shot out of the triton and raced towards the surface.

Ariel slunk down to the ocean floor, tears flowing from her eyes. She was too late. Jim's house was gone. She only hoped that he hadn't been destroyed along with it.

"James Pleates Hawkins!" Sarah yelled, dropping the plates she was carrying.

Jim closed his eyes and bowed his head in shame. He knew that he was in for it now.

"Thanks guys for the ride home. I can take it from here," he said, trying to play it off.

The robotic cop tightened his grip on Jim's shoulder, pulling him back. _Great,_ Jim thought.

"What… why… Jim!" Sarah stuttered, not knowing what to say.

"We apprehended your son operating a solar vehicle through a restricted area," one of the cops said in their robotic tone.

Sarah glared at Jim. Jim just looked away.

"We suggest that your son restrict his solar surfing to permitted areas, or he may receive a one way ticket to juvenile hall," the other cop explained.

"Thank you, officers. It won't happen again," Sarah replied.

They pushed Jim forward; he stumbled, but caught himself. He could feel his mother's glare burning into him, but he didn't dare look at her. He was lucky the café was closed, otherwise he would have embarrassed himself in front of a bunch more people. The only people who would know would be his mother and Delbert, who was sitting at a table by the window, watching in silence.

"Good evening, ma'am," the cops said, tipping their hats to her before leaving.

After they were gone, Jim started clearing the tables, still not meeting his mother's eyes.

"Jim…"

_Here we go,_ Jim thought.

"Jim, I have had it," she continued. "I grounded you for a reason. You went behind my back. And look where that got you. Did you really think that…"

"Mom," Jim interrupted, turning around to face his mother. "It was no big deal. There was no one around. And I was just trying to have a little fun. I wasn't hurting anything. Those cops just won't get off my…"

He stopped as his mother looked at him angrily, putting her hands on her hips.

"Forget it," he sighed.

"Jim, I just don't wanna see you end up in juvenile hall. Do you think I really wanna see my only son throw away his future?"

"What future?" he said, staring out the window.

"Jim, you're mother's right, you know," Delbert cut in.

Jim could hear him approaching from behind, but he didn't bother to turn around. He was too fascinated with the red glow that was appearing on the surface of the ocean. It was growing larger with every second. Suddenly, a large red beam shot out of the water's surface. Jim's eyes widened as he realized it was headed straight for the inn.

"Mom, we gotta go!" he yelled, running towards his mother.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs.

"Come on, Delbert!" he screamed.

Seconds later, the red beam shot through the window, shattering the glass. It straight across the room and into a table, which instantly caught fire.

"I'm with you, Jim!" Delbert squeaked, running quickly behind.

More beams shot from the ocean, catching the whole house on fire. Jim threw open the window and whistled. A horse-like creature appeared around the corner, pulling a carriage. Jim pushed his mother and Delbert out the window and into the carriage and finally jumped in himself. He quickly grabbed the reigns and snapped them. The creature shot forward, racing away from the burning house. As they sped down the road, Jim couldn't help but look back. He'd lived in that house his whole life, and now he couldn't do anything but watch it go up in flames.


	5. Have We Got a Deal?

Chapter 5 – Have We Got a Deal?

Ariel watched in horror as the flames glistened on the surface. Her vision was blurred by the tears in her eyes and she couldn't breathe. Her father was long gone, her sister had disappeared. She was all alone, left to stare up at the charred remains of Jim's house. She only prayed that he had made it out in time.

She collapsed, burying her face in her hands. She sobbed, not knowing what to do next. She knew this was her fault, she should have known better. Yet, she was so angry at her father. Why couldn't he just let her be happy?

"Poor child… poor helpless child," she heard an eery voice say from behind her.

She turned around to find two, creepy-looking eels staring at her with their gold and silver eyes.

"She's got a serious problem…" one of them said.

"If only there was something we could do… But there is something…" the other said, with a sinister smile on his face.

Ariel leaned back, looking at them uncertainly.

"Who…who are you?" she asked.

"Don't be scared," one of the eels replied, swimming closer to her.

"We represent someone who can help you," the other said, swimming around her.

"Someone who can make all your dreams come true."

"I don't understand…" Ariel said, shaking her head in confusion.

"Ursula has great power…" the eel replied, smiling.

Ariel put her hand to her mouth.

"The…the sea witch?"

She'd heard many tales from her father about Ursula, the great witch of Atlantica. Her father had told her that she wasn't to be trusted – she had great power and only used it for evil.

"Why that's… I couldn't possibly…" she stuttered. "No! Get out of here! Leave me alone!"

She waved her hand for them to go, and turned back around.

"Suit yourself… " one of the eels said as they swam away.

Ariel looked back up at the surface. She could see the red glow of embers burning. _If I could just get a chance to see if he's alright…_ she thought. She sighed.

"Wait…" she called to the eels.

They turned around, grinning.

"Yes?"

"I'll… I'll go with you…" she said hesitantly.

"Follow us," they said, turning back around.

Ariel followed them to a creepy-looking undersea cave. The eels swam in quickly, with no hesitation. Ariel, however, paused at the entrance to the cave. Something about this place rubbed her fins the wrong way; it seemed dangerous.

"Come in, child, come in," she heard a voice say from within the cave.

Taking a deep breath, she swam in.

"Must not lurk in doorways; it's rude," the voice said again.

Ursula emerged from a cavern, her hands on her hips and a sinister grin on her face. She was a heavy-weight fish-woman, with octopus legs instead of a tail. Her lips were bright red and her hair was ghostly white. Ariel bit her lip, rethinking her decision to come here.

"Now, you're here because you have thing for this human boy, and you're worried about whether or not he's okay," Ursula said, seating herself at her vanity.

Ariel swam a bit closer, surprised at how well she'd guessed.

"Well, angelfish," she continued. "The solution to your problem is simple. The only way to get what you want, is to become a human yourself."

Ariel gasped.

"Can you… do that?" she asked.

Ursula smiled, turning her beady eyes towards Ariel.

"My dear, sweet child. That's what I do. It's what I live for, to help poor unfortunate merfolk, like yourself," Ursula replied. "Poor souls with no one else to turn to."

Ariel bit her lip again, not sure how to respond.

"Now, here's the deal," Ursula said, not giving Ariel a chance to react.

She pulled Ariel over to her. Her hands were cold against Ariel's bare arm, making her shiver.

"I will make a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? _Three days,_" Ursula explained.

The room around them started to glow, and three golden balls of light appeared in front of Ariel's face.

"Now, before the sun sets on the third day, you're got to find old pretty boy and get him to fall in love with you. That is, he's got to kiss you. And not just any kiss. It has to be a real, meaningful kiss – the kiss of true love."

Ariel smiled as a bright red, glowing heart appeared, warming her face with its light.

"If he does kiss you before that time, you will remain a human permanently and you can live happily ever after. But, if you don't get him to kiss you before the end of the third day, you'll turn back into a mermaid, and you will belong to me," Ursula said, the evil grin spreading across her face again.

Ariel's jaw dropped. She put her hand on her chest, backing up. Was it worth the risk?

"Have we got a deal?" Ursula asked, putting her hand on Ariel's face.

Ariel pulled away, lost in thought.

"If I…if I become human…I'll never be with my father or sisters again…" she stuttered, thinking aloud.

"That's right," Ursula said, crossing her arms. "But, at least you'll have your man."

She laughed her nasal laugh. Ariel closed her eyes, thinking. She wanted so badly to see him, to make sure he was okay, to speak with him, to touch him, to kiss him… but was it worth giving up her family for?

"Alright, I'll do it," Ariel said, nodding.

Ursula smiled again.  
>"Good!" she exclaimed.<p>

She waved her hand quickly, and a golden piece of parchment appeared in front of Ariel. Ariel studied it, jumping when a golden pen flashed in front of her as well.

"Just sign the scroll and the deal will be final," Ursula said.

Hesitantly, Ariel grabbed the pen and signed her name. Ursula laughed. She snapped her fingers and the scroll disappeared. She grabbed different vials and jars off of her shelves, and threw them into the ground below Ariel's fin, the whole time laughing hysterically. She started to chant a spell, loud and clear. Smoke suddenly rose out of the ground, surrounding Ariel. Her fin tingled, a sharp pain shooting from the tips and up into her belly. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Water filled her mouth, choking her. Why couldn't she breathe all of sudden? She felt her fin split in half and morph into legs. In a second, it was all over. The pain was gone, but she still was unable to breathe. She flapped her arms in panic. The two eels swam up to her, wrapped their tails around her arms, and pulled her out of the cave and up to the surface. Ariel burst through the water, taking her first breath of air as human. She sunk back down slowly before swimming to the shore. As she swam, she smiled at herself. After so many years of dreaming of the world above, she was finally going to get to see if for herself.


	6. The Second Deal

Chapter 6 – The Second Deal

Jim sighed as he stared out on the cool, blue ocean. He was running all the previous night's events in his mind – the mysterious red glow on the water, followed by a shooting beam of light coming straight for him, the sight of his home burning as they rode away, the look on his mother's face when Delbert had told them the inn had burned to the ground and absolutely nothing had been saved. He couldn't help but feel like this was his fault, like he was being punished for going behind his mother's back. He sighed again.

"Jim-bo?"

Silver's voice made him jump. He turned to face the cyborg captain, who was looking at him with concern.

"You alright, pup?" Silver asked. "You can head home if you don't feel up to work today…"

Jim shook his head.

"I'm alright, Silver," he answered.

He couldn't stand the thought of going back to Delbert's and seeing his mother crying and stressing.

"I was just thinking…" Jim continued. "I wish there was something I could do for her, you know?"

Silver half-smiled.

"Yeah, I know, son. I'm sure your mother would be happy just to know that you're thinking of 'er," he answered.

Jim sighed and walked towards the stairs that led below deck.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," he called over his shoulder. "I'm gonna grab some more bait so I can fish."

He walked down the stairs without even giving Silver time to answer.

"Hehehehe."

Jim froze at the sound of the eerie laugh. He turned around to make sure he wasn't being followed. No one was behind him. He turned back towards the kitchen.

"Who's there?!" he demanded.

He tried to scan the kitchen, but most of it was dark, making it hard to see.

"There's not need to worry," a voice said from the darkness.

Jim's eyes widened as a woman appeared from the shadows. He took a step back, examining her. She was a heavyset woman, with spiked silver hair and blood red lips. Her skin was so pale that it looked blue. Then, Jim noticed that she wasn't walking on legs, but instead on tentacles.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want?"

The woman smiled.

"My name is Ursula and I am the great witch of the sea," she answered. "And I came here to help you help your mother."

Jim took a step forward, staring at the woman.

"How did you know about that?" he asked.

"Please, pretty boy," the woman chuckled. "Let's not go asking questions. Do you want my help, or not?"

"Depends… how are you planning on helping me?" he answered.

Ursula smiled again. She pulled a small vile out from between her breasts and threw it onto the floor. It exploded, a cloud of green dust left in its place. The dust spread throughout the whole room, then suddenly turned into a green grid. Jim looked around him; he was surrounded by the different planets of the solar system. They flew past him, blowing his hair back as they passed. They began to slow as a large, green planet with a large ring around it approached him. Jim's eyes widened. He recognized this planet; he had seen it many times in storybooks he had read as a child.

"Treasure Planet…" he gasped.

_It can't be_, he thought. _That's just a legend, isn't it?_ Ursula chuckled.

"Yes, the loot of a thousand worlds," she said, grinning sinisterly. "With all that treasure, I bet that you could rebuild your mother's inn and make it a thousand times grander, couldn't you?"

Jim pinched his eyebrows together.

"Too bad no one knows where to find it," he said.

Ursula grinned again.

"I do. I have a map right here," she said, waving her fingers around in a circular motion.

Suddenly, a golden orb appeared in her hand.

"This is the map to Treasure Planet. It's all yours, should you choose to accept the deal."

Jim gasped, a grin spreading across his face. _This could be it,_ he thought. _This could solve all our problems. I could finally prove to my mother that I'm not a failure! _

"If I choose to accept," he said, "what do you want in return?"

Ursula smiled.

"Oh, of course! It wouldn't be fair for me to just give you the map! You must pay of course!" she laughed. "I don't want much."

She began waving both her hands in front of her face as a cloud of smoke appeared. Through the smoke, Jim could see the figure of a young woman. As the picture became clearer, Jim could see that the woman had crimson hair that flowed gently in the wind and stunning blue eyes. Jim had never seen a woman more beautiful.

"All I ask of you is that you find this woman and take her on your journey with you. Don't worry, she won't be hard to find. I know for a fact that she is in this town somewhere. Once you get to Treasure Planet, I will come retrieve her from you," Ursula explained.

Jim took a step forward, studying the girl in the smoke.

"Can I ask what you want her for?" he asked.

"Well, you see," Ursula began. "A few days ago, I made a deal with her. Sadly, she didn't keep her end of the bargain and ran away after I helped her. I just want to make sure that her debt is repaid. She needs to be fair to me, just as I was to her."

Jim nodded, agreeing that bargains needed to be kept.

"So…" Ursula continued. "Have we got a deal?"

Jim looked at Ursula, a smile spreading across his face.

"Yes ma'am."

…...

Jim studied the map he now held in his hands. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to Treasure Planet. He had probably sounded like a nut when he tried to explain Ursula and the deal that he had made with her to Silver and his crew, but in the end, they were up for the adventure.

Jim smiled, tucking the map into his pocket. This was it. It was the beginning of his new life – a life where his mother didn't have to struggle to keep on top of finances; a life where he wasn't a good-for-nothing; a life where his mother would be proud of him. His face glowed with excitement as he imagined their new life. This time, he would make a difference.

Jim continued on his way down the beach towards his inn. He was lost in thought, staring out at the ocean. It wasn't until he heard a dog barking that he snapped back to reality. He turned his attention back in front of him, where he saw a dog barking at a terrified woman perched on a rock.

"Hey!" he called, hurrying over to them. "Shoo!"

He pushed the dog away, motioning with his hand for it to leave. It growled at him, and then turned and ran the other direction.

"Stupid mutt," he mumbled under his breath.

He then turned his attention to the woman. She was barely dressed – all she had on was a purple bikini top, with a torn piece of cloth tied around her lower half. Jim froze when he noticed her face – she had piercing blue eyes and long, red hair. She was the same woman that Jim had seen in Ursula's smoke.

"Um… hey…" he stuttered, unsure of what to say.

The woman just stared at him longingly, which creeped Jim out.

"You… you got to be careful with the strays around here. They aren't always friendly," he said, looking away nervously.

"Thank you for saving me," the woman said with a beautiful and soft voice. "I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't come along."

Jim looked back at the woman, who was still smiling at him, but not as creepily as before.

"No problem," he said, half smiling back.

_Come on… think of something!_ he yelled in his mind. _You've got to get her to come with you somehow so you can give her to Ursula! _

"So…uh…" he said. "I haven't seen you around her before. Are you new in town? Visiting?"

The woman bit her lip, as if she were thinking.

"I just arrived actually," she said, pulling her hair behind her ear. "I'm not quite sure where I am going."

_Now's your chance!_ he thought.

"Well… do you have a place to stay?" he asked.

The woman shook her head.

Jim smiled. _Now I've got her._

"Well, you could come stay on my ship for the night. It's nothing fancy, but it's a place to sleep..." he offered.

The woman's face lit up.

"That would be wonderful!" she said, leaning towards him.

Jim took a step back, trying to gain his personal space back.

"Great. You can come with me, then…" he said, holding out a hand.

The woman took it and Jim helped her down off the rock. She slid into him, and Jim struggled to keep his balance. He was suddenly face to face with the woman, looking into her eyes. They were so deep, like the ocean. He couldn't quite tell what she was thinking. She was very beautiful though – Jim didn't want to look away.

"Well," he said, snapping back to reality. "We better get going."

He took a step back.

"Name's Jim, by the way," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "And you are?"

"My name is Ariel," the woman said, smiling sweetly.

"Well, Ariel," Jim said turning around. "Follow me."

He started walking back towards the docks, Ariel close behind.

_This is it!_ he thought. The final step was now in place. Now all he had to do was set sail for Treasure Planet and make his and his mother's dreams come true.


	7. I'll Go With You

Chapter 7 – I'll Go With You

_Oh the waves roll low _

_And the waves roll high _

_And so it goes_

_Under a bright blue, endless sky_

_Waves try to measure_

_The day's that we treasure_

_Wave hello and wave goodbye_

Ariel sang as she danced around the cabin of the ship. She felt as light as feather, her heart pounding in her chest. _I can't believe it! _she thought. _I actually met him! I actually did it! _She giggled to herself, spinning a circle before falling backwards onto the bed.

_Knock knock knock. _

Ariel turned her attention to the door of the cabin, where she found Jim was watching her. In his hand he carried a blue cloth, folded neatly.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked.

Ariel shook her head.

"No, not at all," she said.

Jim walked into the room and set the cloth down on the little desk in the corner.

"Um… my mother lent me some clothes for you to wear… I wasn't sure if they'd fit or not…" he stuttered, rubbing his neck and looking away nervously.

Ariel's eyes lit up.

"Oh, thank you!" she said, jumping up and running over to the cloth.

She grabbed it and unfolded it. It was a long blue dress. Ariel had never seen a garment so beautiful, especially in the undersea world.

"It's beautiful!" she said, a huge smile spreading across her face. "I love it!"

Jim half-smiled at her, before motioning to a second garment on the desk. This time, it was pink.

"She also lent me something for you to sleep in, so that you'd be comfortable…" he said.

Ariel smiled again, setting the blue dress down and picking up the nightgown.

"Thank you so much," she said, holding the nightgown up to herself.

"I'll step out so you can change…" Jim said, making his way towards the door.

Ariel untied her shell bra and untied the cloth that was draped around her waist.

"So… was that you singing just a minute ago?" Jim's voice said from behind the door.

"Yes, it was…" Ariel answered, pulling the nightgown over her head. "You can come in now."

Ariel went over and sat on the bed.

"You have a beautiful voice…" Jim said as he walked into the room.

Ariel smiled.

"Thank you," she replied.

They sat there in silence for a while before Jim finally spoke.

"So… I'm actually heading out on a journey tomorrow… "

Ariel's eyes lit up.

"A journey? What kind of journey?" she asked, intrigued by the subject.

"Well, you see… my mother's inn burned to the ground not too long ago… so I'm kind of going to go find a hidden treasure so I can rebuild the inn for her…" Jim said, leaning up against the wall.

"That's so sweet of you!" Ariel squealed, smiling.

She couldn't help but feel a pain shoot through her chest, however. She knew the pain all too well; it was the pain of guilt.

"Well…" Jim continued. "I was thinking… since you don't have any place to go… that maybe… you'd wanna come along? I know this may seem really strange since we just met and everything… but I'd hate to just leave you here with no where to go…"

Ariel smiled again.

"Of course! I'd love to come along!" she said happily.

_This is my chance! _she thought. _I've only got three days to make him fall in love with me, so I really have no choice but to go with him!_

"Well… great then," Jim said, a look of relief on his face. "I guess I better let you get some rest then… We're heading out early in the morning…"

Ariel smiled, pulling her hair to one side of her face.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay, Jim. You're so kind," she said, smiling sweetly at him.

Jim blushed, looking away nervously.

"Um… your welcome…" he stuttered. "You better get some sleep…"

Ariel nodded and laid back on the bed.

"Goodnight, Jim," she said softly.

"Goodnight…" Jim answered as he walked to the door. "I'll see you in the morning…"

Ariel smiled to herself as Jim disappeared out the door. He was even sweeter than she had imagined. Now she was sure. Humans weren't all evil. She would show her father. In three days, everything she'd ever dreamt about would become reality.

Jim let out a deep sigh as he walked down the narrow hallway leading to the ship's kitchen. He was so relieved that Ariel actually agreed to go with him. _Now, I just have to get her to Urusula…_ he thought.

"So, Jim-bo…"

The sound of Silver's voice made Jim jump. He thought he was alone in the little kitchen.

"Sorry lad. Didn't mean to frighten ya," Silver said, looking at Jim with a smile.

Jim hoisted himself up onto the counter next to where the old cyborg was washing dishes.

"It's okay. Just didn't know you were in here," he said.

"So, is she the gal that you're supposed to take to that old sea hag you told me about?" Silver continued.

Jim nodded.

"I think so… I was surprised… she was so easy to find. Not only that, but she agreed immediately to come along with us to Treasure Planet…" he explained.

Silver chuckled.

"Me thinks the little lady likes you, Jim-bo."

Jim scowled at his cyborg companion.

"No way. She just met me! That would be ridiculous," he scoffed. "Besides, I don't have time for that right now. I need to focus on helping Mom and showing her I'm not a good-for-nothing."

Silver smiled, setting his last dish aside.

"You ain't no good-for-nothing, Jim. And yer mother knows that," he said, putting a hand on the young boy's shoulder. "She's lucky to have a son like you."

Jim half smiled.

"Well, better get some rest," Silver said, pulling his apron off. "We got a long journey ahead of us in the morning."

Silver disappeared down the hall, leaving the young boy to his thoughts. _Is this really happening?_ he thought. _Am I really going to Treasure Planet? Am I really going to find the loot of a thousand worlds? _Jim smiled at the thought. He was going to become a hero, a legend. He was going to not only make his mother proud, but show the world what he was capable of.

With that happy thought running through his mind, Jim slid off the counter and made his way for his sleeping quarters, a huge grin spread on his face.


	8. The Journey Begins

Chapter 8 The Journey Begins

Jim inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet smell of salt water. Silver's crew was shuffling around him on the dock, getting everything ready for the journey ahead of them. His heart was racing; this was really happening.

"This is it, Jim-bo."

Silver's voice came from behind him. Jim turned around to face the old cyborg. He was smiling down at him, his face glowing with excitement.

"Yep," Jim answered, smiling back. "I'm finally going to prove myself. To my mom… and to everyone."

"Ya sure will, lad," Silver said, putting his good hand on Jim's shoulder. "I have faith in ya."

Silver's gaze wandered to behind Jim and a huge grin spread across his face. Jim turned around to see what had caught Silver's eye. Standing at the top of the ramp to the ship stood Ariel. She was dressed in the blue dress he had given her before and her crimson hair was blowing softly around her in the ocean breeze. Jim tried to catch his breath; she really did look quite beautiful standing there like that.

"Down here, Missy!" Silver called to her. "If it's us you was looking for."

Ariel hurried down the ramp and over to them.

"Good morning," she said sweetly, grinning at them both.

"Morning," Jim muttered.

Why couldn't he stop looking at her? There was just something about her in those clothes that made him unable to look away.

"Good morning, Lassie," Silver replied. "Did ya sleep well?"

Ariel nodded.

"Yes, I slept marvelously. Thank you," she replied. "Thanks again for letting me stay. I'm so thankful. To the both of you," she added, turning towards Jim.

Jim smiled back.

"Excuse me, but could you possibly tell me where my son is?"

Jim recognized the voice behind him instantly and turned around to find his mother talking to a member of the crew.

"Mom," Jim called. "I'm over here."

Sarah thanked the crew member and hurried over.

"Good morning, Ms. Hawkins," Silver greeted politely. "What brings you here this lovely morning?"

"I came to see Jim off," Sarah replied, looking at her son tenderly.

"Uh… thanks…" Jim said awkwardly, looking away.  
>His mother had never come to see him off before, so he wasn't sure how to react. Then again, he had never gone anywhere farther than the bay either.<p>

"Oh, is this the girl you were telling me about last night?" Sarah asked, turning her attention towards Ariel.

"Um, yeah. Mom, this is Ariel, Ariel, this is my mother," Jim replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ariel said kindly, smiling at her.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you as well," Sarah said, smiling back. "Are you going with my son on this little adventure?"

Ariel nodded.

"Yes, I am. You see, I really have no where else to go, so Jim kindly offered to let me accompany him," she explained.

"Really?" Sarah said, surprised. "You must be something special then. Jim's never been one to make friends… especially with girls…"

"Mom…" Jim muttered, rolling his eyes. "Do you have to do this now? I didn't want her to have no where to go, so I asked her to come along. At least until she figures things out."

Sarah sighed, smiling.

"Alright, son. I believe you."

The four of them sat in silence for a few moments before one of the crew approached Silver.

"All the preparations have been made, sir," the crew member said. "We are ready to leave on your cue."

Silver looked at Jim.

"Ya ready, lad?" he asked.

Jim took in a deep breath. This was it.

"I'm ready," he answered, exhaling.

"All aboard then," Silver said, turning back to the crew member.

The crew member nodded, before turning back around.

"All aboard the ship, men!" he cried. "Captain says it's time to go!"

Jim turned back towards his mother.

"I guess… this is where we say goodbye…" he said.

"I guess it is…" Sarah answered.

She looked as if she were about to cry.

"Oh, come on, Mom. Don't cry. I'll be back soon," he said, taking a step towards her.

Sarah sighed.

"I know," she replied. "It's just… this is the first time I've ever had to let you go…"

Jim smiled before hugging her.

"Mom, you never have to let me go…" he whispered to her. "I just have to do this. For me. And for you."

Sarah wrapped her arms around him.

"I know, Jim. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Please be safe. And come home soon."

"I will."

They tightened their embrace around each other before letting go.

"Goodbye, son," Sarah said, trying to fight back tears.

"Goodbye, Mom," Jim replied.

"And goodbye, Ariel," Sarah added, turning towards the red-haired beauty. "Take care of my son for me."

Ariel smiled.

"I will," she answered.

"Don't worry, Ms.," Silver chimed in. "I'll make sure yer boy don't get into any trouble." Sarah smiled at the cyborg.

"Well, we better get onboard," Silver continued. "Best make the best of daylight. Come on, Jim-bo. Ms. Ariel."

The cyborg headed for the ship. Jim looked at his mother again one last time. She was smiling, though he could see in her eyes that she was longing for him to stay. He smiled, trying to reassure her that he would be alright. Finally, he turned away and headed for the ship, Ariel following closely behind.

Ariel couldn't help but giggle as she sat at the table in the ship's dining room. The crew was taking turns telling stories. One of the crew members, Gill, was telling a story about a mermaid kingdom and how his great grandfather had been one of the only men to have ever actually seen it. Ariel tried to keep herself from bursting into laughter at how wrong his story was. _Humans have such a funny depiction of mermaids_, she thought.

Ariel looked over at Jim, who was sitting on a barrel against the wall. He was smiling, listening to the story. Ariel couldn't help but sigh. Everything about him was perfect, especially his smile. She was so madly in love with him, but how could she show him that? She only had two days left to get him to kiss her. She would have to think of something, and fast.

"Well, who wants to go next?" Gill said, breaking Ariel from her trance.

She hadn't noticed that he had finished his story. Everyone looked around the room, waiting for someone to volunteer. Finally, Silver spoke up.

"I have a different idea," he said. "How about we have Ms. Ariel sing for us?"

Ariel looked around the room, suddenly feeling self-concious.

"Me? Why… I…I couldn't possibly…" she stuttered.

"Nonsense, Lassie," Silver laughed. "I heard ye last night from yer bedroom. Ya has the voice of an angel, I'd say. I'm sure that Jim-bo would say the same thing."  
>He looked at Jim. Jim nodded slowly.<p>

"She's pretty good…" he mumbled.

"See, there ye has it. So… what do ya say, Las? Will you sing fer us?" Silver continued, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Ariel looked around her. The entire crew was staring at her, their faces pleading to her. She sighed.

"Alright, I suppose one song wouldn't hurt…" she said, standing up.

"Atta girl," Silver smiled.

Ariel took a deep breath. She opened her mouth and sang the first words that came to her mind:

_This is where I belong  
>Beneath the clear wide blue here!<br>I feel completely new here in the world above!  
>It's like my life was wrong<br>And somehow, now, at last I'm in  
>My own skin<br>Up here in the world above!_

_There's so much light here  
>Light and space!<br>The sun's so bright here  
>Upon my face!<br>It feels so right here  
>Warm as love...<br>Life seems to be  
>Almost calling to me<br>From this strange new world above!_

Ariel finally opened her eyes to find everyone was staring at her. She felt herself brush as wide eyes burned into her. She looked away nervously, when she noticed Jim. He was staring at her with those piercing blue eyes and smiling at her. Ariel felt her face grow hot and her fingers started tingling. He was flashing that beautiful smile for _her_. She couldn't help but smile back.

"That… was awesome," Jim said at last. "Now that I actually got to hear you, I'd say that's probably the best singing I've ever heard."

Ariel blushed again, the tingling returning to her fingers.

"Thank you…" she half-whispered.

The fact that Jim had acknowledged her in such a fashion left her breathless.

"Well, Missy," Silver interrupted, breaking Ariel's stare at Jim.

She turned towards him.

"I think that yer gonna have to entertain us with that beautiful voice every night for the rest of the voyage," he continued, winking at her with his good eye.

Ariel smiled again.

"Thank you so much. I'm glad you guys liked it," she said, bowing her head appreciatively.

She had never gotten this much attention for her singing before. Back home, all of her sisters sang together, and she was always clumped together with them as "Triton's daughters" when other merpeople talked about their singing abilities. It felt good to get recognition as an individual, especially from Jim.

"Well, lads," Silver went on, standing up. "We best be getting to bed soon. Don't want to end up sleeping the day away tomorrow."

With that, the rest of the crew stood up and started to shuffle towards their sleeping chambers. Ariel stood against the wall, waiting for them to pass. She wanted a chance to talk to Jim. She had to get him to kiss her as soon as possible, so she needed to do whatever she could.

She saw Jim headed for the exit and hurried after him. She stopped when she heard Silver call to him.

"Jim-bo, I want you to stay above and keep us on course. I'll send a replacement up for you in a few hours."

Jim sighed and turned, heading for the stairs that would lead him up on deck. After he had gone, Silver turned towards Ariel.

"Why don't ya go keep him company?" he asked, winking at her again. "We don't want him getting lonely now, do we?"

Ariel smiled, nodding.

"No we do not," she answered.

And with that, she hurried up the stairs to join Jim.


	9. So Close

Chapter 9:  
>So Close<p>Ariel took a deep breath before approaching Jim. She stood, watching him, for a long moment. He was standing at the helm, staring out at the dark sea. He seemed in a daze, like something heavy was on his mind. Ariel longed to join him; to be at his side. <em>So what are you waiting for?<em> she asked herself. Sighing, she walked towards him. As she approached, Jim looked at her.

"Want some company?" Ariel asked, smiling that sweet smile of hers.

Jim smiled.

"Sure," he replied.

Ariel smiled again, walking closer. She stood next to him, looking out at the sea. A long awkward silence followed, making Ariel feel uncomfortable.

"So, how was your first day on board?" Jim said at last, breaking the silence.

"Wonderful," Ariel replied cheerfully. "The crew is so pleasant and Mr. Silver is so kind."

Jim laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," he continued.

He looked at Ariel, and her heart skipped a beat. She was flashing him that smile again.

"You really are talented, you know that?" he asked her, not taking his eyes off of her.

Ariel blushed.

"You think so?" she asked.

"Yes. I knew you had a gift when I heard you singing in your room last night, but tonight…wow… it as just amazing."

Ariel felt her face grow hot. Was he really acknowledging her like this? It made her want to fly.

"Thank you…" she replied, speechless.

Jim turned his attention back to the sea. Ariel walked over to the edge of the ship, staring out at the waves. The ocean was so peaceful and quiet; it reminded her of the mother. She had always loved to sit up on the rocks in the bay on a calm and peaceful evening and sing to her daughters. But that was back before her father had forbidden anyone from going to the surface. Ariel sighed. She missed those days. Without realizing it, she opened her mouth and began to sing:

_Oh the waves roll low _

_And the waves roll high _

_And so it goes_

_Under a bright blue, endless sky_

_Waves try to measure_

_The day's that we treasure_

_Wave hello and wave goodbye_

"Wow."

Jim's voice suddenly made Ariel realize what she'd done.

"Oh…Jim…I'm sorry…" she stuttered, turning towards him again. "I don't know what came over me… I was just…"

Jim smiled at her.

"Why are you apologizing? That was beautiful," he replied.

Ariel sighed in relief.

"Can…can I ask you a question?" Jim stuttered, looking away nervously.

"Of course!" Ariel replied cheerfully.

Jim bit his lip hesitantly before answering. Ariel struggled to suppress a giggle.

"That…that song…" Jim finally explained. "I…I heard you singing it in your room last night when I brought you your clothes... I was just wondering where you learned such a beautiful song?"

Ariel smiled, turning towards the sea again.

"My mother taught it to me when I was a little girl. It's possibly my favorite song," she replied.

Her mind wandered to the nights when Ariel and her sisters would huddle around their mother as she sang to them each night before bed. As she sang, she'd look at each of them with those bright blue eyes, her scarlet hair falling gently from its ponytail down her back. Ariel tried to suppress a whimper. She missed her mother so much.

"Your mother?" Jim asked, bringing Ariel back to the present.

Ariel turned back towards Jim. His face looked curious.

"Does…does your mother know where you are now? Why aren't you with her instead of here all alone?" he half-whispered, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.

Ariel closed her eyes and turned away. She had never been able to talk with anyone about what had happened to her mother, not even her father or sisters. It had been too hard on her. She could already feel the tears welling up behind her eyelids. She sighed. She was going to try…

"No…" she began, her voice shaky and weak with grief. "My mother doesn't know where I am… She… she passed away a few years ago…"

The tears began to slowly flow from her eyes now. She couldn't hold them back. She hadn't cried over her mother since the day she died. The pain that had been growing inside her since then was just too much to handle anymore. She had to let it out.

"Oh…Ariel…" she heard Jim say from behind her.

She refused to turn around. She couldn't face him, not like this. She put her hands to her face, wiping the tears from her cheeks. They just kept flowing down her face, drenching her skin. She felt her body growing weak. Finally, after a few long moments, her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. The pain was just too much to bear.

Ariel jumped when she felt Jim's fingertips on her cheek. She had been so busy crying that she hadn't heard him walk around her. She opened her eyes. He was kneeling in front of her, reaching his hand out to her. His cerulean eyes were filled with compassion and a half smile was on his face. He gently touched her cheek again, wiping her tears away. His skin felt so warm against hers; a warmth that spread through her entire body.

"Hey, come on…" Jim said sweetly. "Don't cry."

Ariel tried to make the tears stop, but all she could do was slow them. They were still flooding from her eyes, staining her face.

"I…I'm sorry…" she stuttered. "I've just never talked to anyone about my mother in the longest time… I miss her so much… I just…without her… I just feel so alone…"

Jim pulled his hand away. Ariel's heart fell, pleading for him to touch her again. She longed for the warmness of his skin once again; for the butterflies just the touch of his fingertips gave her. She never wanted that feeling to end.

Suddenly, Jim wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Ariel's heart was racing and the butterflies had returned, only this time much stronger. She couldn't believe it. She took in every sensation of the embrace that she could – the warm skin of his neck pressed against her damp face, the ocean smell that radiated off of his body, the gentle rising and falling of his chest as he breathed. She took in every detail, trying to savor every short moment of their embrace.

"You're not alone," Jim whispered to her. "You'll never be alone. So don't say that. You'll have Silver, and the crew. And you'll have me. I promise… I'll stay by your side until you figure things out. I won't abandon you; I won't leave. And I will definitely not let you cry again."

Jim's words made Ariel's heart soar. They made her feel as if she were the only person in the world that mattered to him. Although she knew that was selfish and untrue, for the moment, she didn't care. She was in his arms, and he was making her feel wanted. That's all that mattered to her.

Ariel sighed as Jim released her all too soon. He looked at her, his eyes a bit brighter, that cute smile growing wider on his face.

"You've stopped crying," he said softly.

Ariel smiled. She hadn't even realized that the tears had disappeared after hearing his kind words.

"Jim…" she whispered. "Thank you. For everything. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be a total mess right now… but, because of you, I'm happy again."

She smiled at him, batting her big blue eyes. He really had done so much for her, and he didn't even realize it. This – the entire night Ariel had spent with Jim – was exactly what she was hoping for when she made the deal with Ursula to become human. She only hoped that she would be able to have more nights like this with him.

Ariel's heart nearly stopped as she noticed the expression on Jim's face. He was staring at her, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. She watched as his smile faded and he slowly and slightly parted his lips. Was it just her, or was he moving closer towards her face. Her heart began to race. She wasn't just imagining things; he was inching closer. _This is it!_ she thought. _He's going to kiss me! _

Ariel closed her eyes and parted her lips, just as Jim had done. She started slowly moving towards him. Ariel's entire body was tingling with anticipation, and her stomach was doing flips. In just a moment, Ursula's deal would be finished, and she would be free to live with Jim as a human forever.

After what seemed like an eternity, she was finally close enough to Jim to feel his warm breath on her lips. Her heart was beating faster than ever and her hands were trembling. Any second now and his lips would be on hers. She was nearly going mad with excitement. _Any second now,_ she told herself. _Any second now… _

"Jim-bo!" Silver's voice echoed across the deck, making Ariel jump.

She opened her eyes, sighing. Jim had pulled away. Feeling defeated, Ariel turned her attention towards the stairwell leading below deck. Silver was making his way up the stairs and over to them. Ariel couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at the old cyborg. She had been so close, but he had to come and ruin it.

"What is it, Silver?" Jim asked, standing up. "Did something happen?"

Ariel pulled herself to her feet as well, trying to push her disappointment from her mind.

"Nah, just thought now'd be a good time for ya both to get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow," Silver explained, putting his mechanical hand on Jim's shoulder. "I'll take over from here."

Jim smiled, turning towards Ariel. She tried her best to hide the disappointed look she knew must have been on her face.

"I guess we better be getting some sleep, huh?" Jim said, apparently not noticing anything wrong with her.

Ariel simply nodded. She did feel exhausted. It was probably a good idea.

"Well then, off to bed with ya," Silver said, motioning them both towards the stairs.

"Thanks, Silver," Jim said, nodding.

Ariel followed Jim down the stairs and down the hall to her room. Her mind was clouded with so many thoughts. She had been so close, she could feel his breath on her skin. If only Silver had come just a few moments later…

"I guess this is where I leave you," Jim said, motioning towards her bedroom door.

Ariel couldn't help but notice the disappointed tone in his voice. Could it be that he was just as upset about the interruption as she was? She looked up at him. He didn't look disappointed, just tired. She sighed. She was probably just imagining it.

"I suppose so…" she mumbled, looking at the ground.

They stood their awkwardly for a long moment. Ariel wasn't sure if it was because of what had almost just happened, or because neither of them really knew what to say.

"I want to thank you… again… for cheering me up tonight…" Ariel stuttered, trying to break the awkward silence. "It…it really meant a lot to me…"

Jim smiled at her again.

"Hey, don't mention it," he said. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Ariel felt her heart sink a little. So, they were just friends after all… She tried to shake off the disappointed feeling. She would just have to work harder, that's all. With confidence slowly flowing back into her, Ariel smiled.

"Right!"

Then, she took a step towards him. She had to stand on her tip toes, because Jim was quite a lot taller than her. She craned her neck towards him, closing her eyes. Then, softly, she pecked him on the cheek.

"Goodnight," she whispered to him, the smile still on her face.

Jim's eyes were wide, and his face was growing pink. He quickly looked away, as if he were embarrassed.

"Goodnight, Ariel," he said, still not looking at her.

Smiling, Ariel opened the door to her room and slid in. She watched as Jim walked back down the hall towards the sleeping quarters, where he would sleep with the rest of the crew. She slowly shut the door after he'd gone. Pressing her back to the door, she couldn't help but let out a girly squeal. Even if it hadn't turned out the way she had hoped, this night had been perfect. She danced over to her bed, collapsing on it. It had been such a magical day and evening. Not only had she gotten to spend some memorable moments with the man she loved, but tonight had given her hope that maybe…just maybe… he would fall in love with her too - before it was too late…


	10. Rescue Me

Chapter 10 Rescue Me

Jim's head was spinning as he walked back up the stairs to the ship's deck. He wasn't anywhere near ready to go to sleep and figured the fresh air would clear his head. He rubbed his tingling cheek with his hand. He hadn't expected anything that had happened tonight, especially not for her to kiss him like that.

"What's on your mind, Jim-bo?" Silver's voice called, breaking Jim from his daze.

The old cyborg was lounging against the railing, looking out at the ocean.

"Nothing really…" Jim said anxiously.

He walked over and joined the cyborg at the railing. Silver looked at him skeptically.

"The look on yer face says otherwise," he protested. "Might it be Ms. Ariel? You two seemed to be having a bit of a moment…"

Jim looked at his old friend, sighing.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," he began, running his finger through his hair. "She just makes me feel so… so confused. But yet, happy, all at the same time."

Silver tried to suppress a giggle.

"Sounds like yer fallin' in love, boy-o, if ya ask me…" he said, a smile spreading across his face.

Jim slammed his hand down on the railing.

"No!" he yelled. "I can't be falling in love! I mean… she's…she's what I'm giving up in exchange for the treasure on Treasure Planet…"

Silver sighed.

"She don't know, does she, lad?" he asked, looking at Jim with his soft, brown eye.

Jim shook his head.

"No… She's just… so nice… I couldn't tell her something like that… I figured I'd just… you know... hand her over to Ursula when the time comes… why make her worry?"

Silver gave him his skeptical look again.

"I suppose… just be sure to think this one over, Jim-bo. Some things are more important than treasure…"

"All hands on deck, now! A storm's a coming!"

Jim's eyes shot open at the sound of Silver's voice above deck. Around him, the entire crew was in a panic to get out of bed and rush up to join the cyborg. Quickly, Jim threw off the blanket and threw his legs over the side of his hammock. He quickly laced up his boots and rushed up the stairs to join the rest of the crew.

All around him, wind raged, tearing at their backs, and rain drops poured from the skys, piercing them like a thousand knives. But he didn't have time to worry about the pain. He rushed over to the mast, pulling on the ropes so that the men above could secure the sail. He could barely see - the rain was making it impossible. He could faintly hear Silver's yelling orders to the crew over the cracks of thunder. Lightning flashed, turning the sky a ghostly white for just a second. He looked around him, trying to see if there was anything else he could help with. Then, he saw it – a flash of bright red out of the corner of his eye – Ariel had emerged from her bedroom and joined the crew on deck.

Jim rushed over to her. Her crimson hair was a mess, and her pink nightgown clung to her skin, soaked with rain water. Her eyes were wide with fear, looking around her at the raging storm.

"Ariel, please, go back to your room! It's dangerous up here!" Jim demanded as he reached her.

Ariel looked at him, biting her lip.

"But… I want to help…" she protested.

Jim sighed.

"I know, but it's too dangerous. I can't…"

He was interrupted by a howl from one of the other crew members. Jim spun around to find that the sail had come unfastened and was now blowing fiercely in the wind.

"Someone get up there and tie it down, before we lose our sail!" Silver screamed over the crash of thunder.

Jim looked at Ariel again before rushing away.

"Get back inside, Ariel!" he called over his shoulder.

He rushed over to the rope ladder that led up to the mast. He quickly climbed up and carefully made his way over to the sail. He grabbed the ropes and pulled them, tightening the sail. He fastened it, letting out a sigh of relief. He got up and turned around, ready to head back down the ladder, when suddenly, the ship jolted violently. Jim flailed his arms around, trying to keep his balance, but it was too late. His legs gave way and he tumbled down.

A sharp pain went through his shoulder as he hit the side of the ship. He scratched at the wood, trying to grab a hold of something, anything to save himself. He could feel the freezing cold, raging water tearing at his feet. In a matter of moments, the water consumed his entire body. Everything went very dark. He felt his body going numb. He gasped for air, panicking as his airways filled with the ice cold water. It seemed like an eternity had passed.

_Just calm down!_ He told himself. He tried to relax, closing his eyes. It was obvious that no one was coming to save him. He would just let himself pass out – at least he would die peacefully.

He lay there, his body weight dragging him down to the ocean floor, waiting for consciousness to leave him. Suddenly, he felt something touching him. It wrapped around his body, pulling upwards. Jim opened his eyes. It wasn't something grabbing him, but _someone_. He just barely glimpsed the shadowed face of his rescuer before passing out.

_If only you could know  
>The things I long to say<br>If only I could tell you  
>What I wish I could convey<br>It's in my ev'ry glance  
>My heart's an open book<br>You'd see it all at once  
>If only you would look<em>

A song. A beautiful song. As consciousness returned to Jim, he listened to the sweet voice. It sounded so… so familiar.

_If only you could glimpse  
>The feeling that I feel<br>If only you would notice  
>What I'm dying to reveal<br>The dreams I can't declare  
>The needs I can't deny<br>You'd understand them all  
>If only you would try<em>

He had heard this voice before. He was positive.

_All my secrets, you would learn them  
>All my longings, you'd return them<br>Then the silence would be broken  
>Not a word would need be spoken<em>

_If only_

Jim, the numbness finally leaving his body, slowly opened his eyes. Hovering over him was the blurred outline of a woman. He blinked a couple of times. As his vision cleared, the woman's face became easier to make out. Her blue eyes were focused intently on his face, her red lips shimmering as they shaped to each syllable she sang; her crimson hair was flowing beautifully around her oval face. Jim gasped as reality hit him. The girl hovering over him, singing _for him_, was Ariel.

"A...Ariel?" he struggled to say.

Ariel smiled that adorable grin of hers.

"Jim!" she squealed. "You…You're alright!"

She moved off of him, helping him to sit up. They were in Ariel's cabin – he was lying on her bed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You don't remember? You fell off the ship and into the sea during the storm," Ariel said hesitantly. "You would have drowned if…"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jim looked towards the doorway to see Silver peeking into the room.

"Aw, Jim-bo! You've finally come to, huh?" the old cyborg exclaimed as he came into the room. "Gave us quite a scare ya did! Ya probably would'a drowned if it weren't for our dear little Miss Ariel, here."

"Ariel?" Jim said, looking at her with surprise.

She smiled, looking away shyly.

"Yes-sir," Silver continued. "The minute you fell into the water, while the rest of us were panicking and trying to find a way to rescue ya, Miss Ariel here jumped right in after ya. I don't know how she found ya- none of us would have even survived that raging water. She's a brave one, I'll tell ya that!"

Jim just looked at Ariel, baffled. She looked at him, her blue eyes shining.

"Land ho!" one of the crewmen called from above deck.

"It sounds like we've made it, Jim-bo!" Silver laughed, heading for the door. "Best be getting up!"

And with that he disappeared out the door. Jim and Ariel looked at each other, a smile spreading across both their faces. They had finally made it!


	11. A Day on the Town

Chapter 11- A Day on the Town

As Ariel stepped off of the boat, her heart was racing. The little village that surrounded the shore of the tiny island was magnificent. She had never seen anything like it. It definitely beat any of the cities that she had seen under the sea.

"Well, what do ya say? We check into an inn and enjoy the sights tonight, then get up early tomorrow and search for this 'secret portal' Jim's map speaks of?" Silver asked cheerfully as he walked up behind Jim and her.

Ariel looked at Jim longingly. Perhaps enjoying the sights with Jim was just what she needed to win his heart. Jim smiled.

"Sure, sounds like a plan," he replied, not taking his eyes off of her.

Ariel blushed.

"Well, it's settled then. I'll go get us checked in at the inn. You two love-birds can go explorin'," Silver joked, playfully smacking Jim on the back before walking away.

Ariel felt her face grow hot at his joke. Could it be possibly that Silver truly saw something between them?

"Shall we?" Jim asked, motioning toward the town.

Ariel smiled, nodding excitedly.

"After you," he said, stepping back to let her pass.

The town was even more beautiful than Ariel could imagine. All around her, people were bustling about, wandering in and out of shops, conversing with their friends. Children ran past her, giggling. It was wonderful. She couldn't help but smile.

"You okay?" Jim asked her, breaking her from her amazed stares. "You look like you've never seen a village before?"

"Y…yes…"she hestitated. "I just haven't been in a town like this one… where I'm from, everything is so… big and extravagant. I've never seen anything so simple and yet so beautiful. It's a nice change of pace."

Jim smiled. As he looked away, past her, something caught his eye. A huge grin spread across his face.

"Hey, do you wanna dance?" he asked her, motioning toward a group of couples dancing.

Ariel bit her lip. She was still getting used to her human legs. Would she even be able to dance? Sure, she'd danced plenty of times underwater, but that was easy. She didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of Jim.

"Um, I'm not sure I know how..." she said quietly, a bit embarrassed.

Jim laughed.

"Hey neither do I. We'll teach each other," he suggested. "What do you say?"

He held out his hand to her. Suddenly, she was overcome with a wave of confidence. If Jim were her partner, she could do anything.

"Okay," she replied, placing her hand in his.

He led her over to the rest of the group. Pulling her in close, they started to move to the music. It was a magical feeling. Ariel felt like she was floating. They danced to gracefully together. They twirled round and round. Their eyes were locked the entire time. At that moment, looking into Jim's eyes, she knew. Something was changing in him; something that she'd caused. She was certain she could do it. She had to. She only had a couple more hours before the sun set. She had to get that kiss. Soon.

After they danced, they strolled around the town. As they wandered down the main street, looking in the windows of all the shops, Jim stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Ariel asked, thinking something was wrong.

Jim was staring in the window of one particular shop. The sign above the door read _Everett's Solar Surfing_.

"Hey, Ariel," Jim asked, looking at her. He had the biggest grin on her face. "Have you ever been solar surfing?"

"No," Ariel replied. "Is it fun?"

"Is it fun?" Jim laughed. "Come on. I'll show you and you can see for yourself."

And with that, he pulled her into the store. Within five minutes he'd picked out and purchased a board and they were on their way out of town and up a mountain path. When they were far enough above the town, Jim set the board up.

"You ready?" he asked, placing on foot on the board.

Ariel's heart was racing. She had no idea what solar surfing was, or what this strange board would do. She had no idea what to expect. But if it was something Jim enjoyed, she knew she'd probably enjoy it too.

"I'm ready," she said, stepping on the board.

"Okay, just hold on tight, okay?" Jim said as Ariel wrapped his arms around him.

Taking a deep breath, Jim lifted his foot and stomped on the foot pedal at the back of the board. A strong vibration shook the board as a wave of flames shot out from the two pipes at the back. A sail popped up from the side. Jim lifted his foot off the ground and off they went.

Ariel had never felt anything so exhilarating. The wind blew violently through her crimson hair, biting her nose and cheeks. The view was magnificent. She could see everything from up there: the city lights, the sun setting on the ocean, the forests surrounding the village. Jim guided them over the ocean. Ariel reached down, letting one hand glide gracefully through the water. Everything about the ride was magical. Much to Ariel's dismay, it seemed to be over just as fast as it had started.

Jim slowly brought the board back down to the ground.

"You ready to head to the inn?" Jim asked, putting the sail back down. "It's going to be getting dark soon."

"Sure," Ariel replied.

Her heart started to race. She only had about an hour left until the sun would set. She needed to think of some way to get him to kiss her.

The two headed back down the mountain path towards town. As they walked, Jim held Ariel's hand. The feeling of his skin against hers made her fingers tingle. He was so warm. She couldn't help but smile. Maybe getting him to kiss her wouldn't be so hard after all.

When they finally reached the inn, Jim led Ariel to a balcony overlooking the ocean. They sat down on a stone bench, gazing out at the sea, red with the light of the soon to set sun.

"So," Jim began, putting his arms behind his head. "I had some fun today. How about you?"

Ariel smiled.

"Yes, I definitely had fun. I don't think I've had that much fun in a long time."

Jim laughed.

"Aw, come on. Sure you have."

Ariel shook her head.

"No, I haven't actually. Back home, I always feel… trapped. I'm practically the oddball out in my family. My sisters don't support my dreams; my father doesn't understand me. I have no real friends. I just feel like I can't be myself. But…with you… I feel… special. Important. Like it doesn't matter if I be myself. I've never felt so free. And it's all because of you, Jim."

Jim just stared at her for a moment.

"Wow, Ariel, I had no idea," he said, putting his hand gently on top of hers. "You seem so…happy, all the time. I never would have guessed that you felt that way. Though, I can't say I blame you."

"What do you mean?" Ariel asked, cocking her head.

She could tell something was troubling him. Jim sighed.

"Well… I feel the same way. You see, my dad left when I was just a kid. That damn bastard didn't even have the decency to say goodbye. So, it's just me and my mom. All I've really wanted is to make her proud, to show her I'm not just a screw up. But, that seems to be all I can do: screw up. A few days ago, I really hurt her. I embarrassed her in front of all her customers. And I didn't even feel a shred of guilt. All I could do was be angry at her for punishing me. But then, later that night, something weird happened. A light exploded out of the ocean, like a laser beam. It hit our inn. The entire building burned to the ground. My mother was so… devastated. That inn was all she had left. Seeing the pain on her face killed me inside. I just wished there was a way to help her."

Ariel's head was spinning. The inn burning down had been all her fault, and she knew it. She had never imagined how much pain it had caused Jim and his family. She struggled to keep from crying.

"That's when I was visited by this weird old sea witch…" Jim continued.

Ariel's eyes widened.

"S…sea witch?" she gasped.

"Yea. She told me that she would give me the map to Treasure Planet so that I could help my mom. So, I made a deal with her…"

Jim paused, looking away from Ariel. The expression on his face told Ariel that something was wrong.

"What is it, Jim?"

Jim looked at her with guilt.

"There's something I haven't told you, Ariel. The deal I made with her, the sea witch I mean… It involves you… She told me that, in exchange for the map, I had to find you, get you to come with me, and turn you over to her…"

Ariel gasped. So Ursula had made a deal with Jim to ensure that Ariel would not succeed in kissing Jim. She felt like a fool. How could she have been so blind? Did she really think that Ursula would just let her get away with kissing Jim and getting what she wanted? She couldn't hold back anymore. The tears streamed down her face furiously.

"Ariel, I'm so sorry. I made that deal before I met you. Before I even got to know you," Jim protested.

He leaned in and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"I'm so sorry. I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you. That damn old hag can't have you. I'll fight for you, no matter what. Because… I think I may be falling for you, Ariel."

Ariel's heart stopped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She pulled back and looked Jim in the eyes. They were glowing bright blue, staring into her passionately. This was it. This was her chance. She only had about ten minutes until the sun would be set. She had to kiss him now. Ursula would not win this time.

Ariel started leaning in towards Jim. Much to her surprise, he started leaning in towards her. Ariel closed her eyes. This was it. In just a moment, her lips would touch his, and she would be free to live with him forever as a human. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweating, her entire body tingled with excitement.

Then, the image of Jim's house burning flashed through her mind. She remembered the pain she had heard in Jim's voice as he described his mother's disappointment. Everything that he had been through had been her fault. This wasn't right. She couldn't kiss him. Not yet. Not until he knew the truth.

Ariel stopped, putting her hand on Jim's shoulder. He looked at her, surprised.

"Jim," Ariel sighed. "There's something I need to tell you."


	12. Too Late

Chapter 12: Too Late

Jim's head was spinning. He leaned back against the bench, running his hand over his face. He glanced at Ariel. She was in tears, her guilt apparent on her face. Jim clenched his fist. His entire body burned with anger and frustration.

"You're really something, you know that?" he snipped. "You've lied to me from the start. About everything. Who you really are, what you're doing here, where you came from. And on top of all that, you never even bothered to tell me that you're responsible for the inn burning down! How could you keep something like that from me?!"

Tears kept pouring from Ariel's eyes but Jim couldn't control himself. He was so angry and hurt, he could hardly look at her.

"Jim… I am so sorry. I am. I should have told you, I know. But please…" she stuttered, reaching for him.

"No!" he interrupted, swatting her hand away. "It's too late for apologies, Ariel. I was falling for you. I really was! You make me feel something I haven't felt in a really long time, not since my dad left. You made me feel wanted…important! But now… after all this… I don't know what to think anymore…"

He turned away, unable to look at her.

Suddenly, Ariel's scream rang through the air, making Jim jump. He faced her once again. She was sliding off the bench onto the ground, her legs growing bright orange. The look on her face was one of sheer terror and pain. Unsure of what to do, Jim just stared at her in horror.

"The sun! It's set! I'm… I'm transforming back!" she screamed.

Suddenly, the glow around her legs disappeared, revealing a scaly, green mermaid fin in its place.

"Good work, pretty boy!" a familiar voice echoed from behind them. Jim turned around to find Ursula climbing over the rock wall of the balcony. "You delivered her, just as we agreed."

Jim hesitantly moved out of Ursula's way as she slithered over to Ariel. Ariel's eyes pleaded for him to help as Ursula wrapped her chubby arm around her waist, pulling her tight against Ursula's side. Jim tried to ignore the look.

"Here you go, lover boy," Ursula said, tossing Jim a spherical package.

"What's this?" Jim asked, turning the package around in his hands.

"That there is the key you will need to open the portal to Treasure Planet. You'll figure out how to use it."

Jim nodded, tucking the package into his jacket pocket.

"Jim, please. Don't do this," Ariel pleaded before Ursula slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Shut up, you," she snapped.

Jim took one last look at Ariel. He felt a slight pain in his chest, the pain of guilt, but he knew he did what he had to do.

"Thanks a lot, Ursula," he said, before turning back towards the inn, leaving Ariel and Ursula alone on the balcony.

Back inside the inn, Jim shuffled his way to Silver's room. His heart was still heavy, but he wasn't turning back now. He was so close to his goal, what he'd come here for. He couldn't let his heart get in the way now.

"Silver!" he called as he knocked on the heavy wooden door. "You about ready to head out? I got the key. No sense waiting 'til morning if we can just leave now."

He waited patiently, listening to the metallic _thump thump thump_ of the old pirate's mechanized leg as he approached the door. Slowly, the door opened. Silver looked at him, a concerned look on his face.

"You gave 'er up, didn't ya, boy?" he muttered.

Jim looked away.

"I did what I had to do, Silver. Please, don't lecture me. I have to do this; I have to help my mom rebuild the inn. You know that."

Silver pinched is eyebrows together, and then sighed.

"Alright, lad. I just hope ya know what you're doing."

There was a long pause. Jim couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with the cyborg.

"Well," Silver laughed, breaking the awkward silence. "Let's get a move on, shall we? That treasure ain't gonna find itself."

"Right."

And with that, the two set off up the mountain trail.

It took them nearly an hour to climb to the top of the mountain and reach the cliff where the portal to Treasure Planet was supposed to be.

"Well, where the hell is it?" Jim exclaimed, looking around.

All he could see was a flat, rocky, moss-covered strip of land extending out over the sea.

"Just relax, boy. It's here somewhere," Silver said in a soothing voice.

Jim walked a few steps forward, looking for any place the portal could be hidden. Then he remembered the package in his pocket. He pulled it out and unwrapped the paper from around it. Inside was a golden sphere with all kinds of strange markings etched into it. Jim turned it around and around in his hands, examining every inch of it. As he was looking at it, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye: a small indent in the ground just big enough for the sphere to fit into.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, getting down on his knees.

Slowly, Jim pushed the key into the hole. Suddenly, the whole ground shook. A bright green light erupted from out of the sphere and into the sky. Slowly, the light opened up to reveal a huge triangular portal. Jim had done it. He'd found the portal to Treasure Planet.

"Good job, boy," Silver praised, putting his hand on Jim's shoulder. "Shall we take a look inside?"

Not saying a word, Jim walked forward slowly. As he approached the portal, he put his arm out. Inch by inch, his arm went through the portal. Taking a deep breath, Jim leapt forward. He was through. Opening his eyes, Jim's breath escaped him. He had never seen anything more remarkable.

In front and all around him, gold coins, jewels, and all kinds of valuable treasures lay piled all over the floor. There was enough treasure and wealth here to build the Benbow Inn a hundred times over. Jim couldn't help but smile. He'd done it. He was here. He was finally going to make his mother proud of him.

"Well, would you look at that?" Silver laughed, patting Jim on the back. "We did it, Jimbo. We made it."

Jim just nodded, speechless. It was such a wonderful sight. There was so much to take in. Then Jim noticed the abandoned ship wedged in among the treasure on the other side of the cavern. Curious, he wandered over to it and pulled himself up onto its deck. The deck was also covered in riches, more than Jim would have ever imagined. Curious to know what else may be contained in the captain's quarters, he slowly opened the door.

Although this room was also filled with treasures, something else immediately caught Jim's attention: a painting of a beautiful mermaid on the wall. It was a fairly old painting, but it was still remarkably colorful. The mermaid was tall and beautiful, with long, flowing, crimson hair. _Just like Ariel's_, Jim thought. The pain in his stomach returned. Had he really done the right thing?

"Yer regretting yer decision, ain't ya?"

Silver's voice made Jim jump. He turned around to find his friend propped against the door frame. He had been so enthralled in the painting, he hadn't heard the cyborg approaching.

"I don't know…" Jim muttered. "Do… you think I made the wrong choice? I mean, the whole point in coming here was to get enough treasure to help my mom rebuild the Benbow. And there's more than enough here and all I've ever wanted is to finally make my mom proud. But… for some reason, ever since the old sea hag took Ariel away… I've been hurting. But how can I give up all of this – give up making my mom proud – for a girl I just met?"

Silver smiled.

"As I said before, Jim-bo: some things are more important than treasure. I'm sure yer mom would rather you go after what's gonna make you happiest than worry about making her happy all the time. Don't you think?"

Jim thought about Silver's words for a long moment. Finally, he made up his mind.

"Silver, I'll be back in a while. There's something I have to do."


End file.
